Monthly Archives: May 2015

Around the Mouse: Walt Disney World News, May 27, 2015

What’s New This Week?

Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Magic Kingdom Park

New! New Show Coming to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: In “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” the mischievous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” return to the mortal world for one night during the Halloween season. With only a few hours to run amuck, the three sisters decide to use their magic to throw the best, evil Halloween party this side of the graveyard! With the help of the Disney villains, Winifred, Mary and Sarah gather together sinister shadows, nefarious nightmares and the power of their frightful friends to conjure the ultimate Hocus Pocus Party Potion and cast a spell on everyone in the Magic Kingdom Park. “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” features appearances by Dr. Facilier, Oogie Boogie, Maleficent and other great Disney villains, along with dancers, projections and special effects that combine to make this new show a not-to-be-missed Halloween treat.

Reminder!Adjusted Times for Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It!: Due to refurbishment work on Main Street, U.S.A., Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! will be presented at 12:30 and 5:40 p.m. on June 2, June 3, June 8, June 15 and June 29, 2015.

Epcot

New! New Epcot Tour Around World Showcase: A new tour, World Showcase: DestiNations, brings culture, history and Disney magic to life. From the streets of Paris to the Bavarian countryside, see what has inspired the Disney animators for years in the creation of some of our most beloved movie classics. The five-hour World Showcase walking tour discusses highlights from over four thousand years of architecture and world history and ends with a dining experience at Restaurant Marrakesh. Cost is $109+tax per person.

New! Disney-Pixar “Inside Out” Preview Begins at Epcot May 30: Beginning May 30, the Imagination Pavilion theater in Epcot will offer a limited-time special preview inside Disney -Pixar’s original new film “Inside Out.” “Inside Out” ventures inside the mind of 11-year-old Riley and introduces us to the Emotions that guide her. Based in Headquarters, the five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy, whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Guests will experience an advance look at a sequence from the film, complete with special in-theater effects and an exclusive introduction from the filmmakers. The “Inside Out” preview is scheduled through July. Captain EO will remain temporarily closed during the preview and is planned to return in July.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Reminder! Star Wars Weekends Schedule: Immerse yourself in another world with the power of the Force during Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This event runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 15–June 14. While at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find an entire saga’s worth of characters, specialty shows and celebrities on hand for pictures, autographs, motorcades and more. The 2015 Star Wars Weekends celebrity appearances include:
Weekend III (May 29 – 31)

Update! New Harambe Market at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Now Open: The much-anticipated Harambe Market opened May 23 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There food plays a starring role with African-inspired street food at four walk-up windows and plenty of shaded seating – 200+ seats. Built around a Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower, the marketplace re-creates a bustling center of commerce where guests are welcomed from around the world who have come to visit the little seaside town and venture out to the reserve to observe Africa’s animals. It’s designed to be the sort of food you’d find in a street market in Africa, and the menus are intended to reflect the unique personalities of the establishments’ owners. “Kitamu Grill” offers skewered chicken and a kabob flatbread sandwich. “Famous Sausages” features a corn dog, inspired by a South African sausage called a boerewors, dipped in curry-infused corn batter. “Chef Mwanga’s” serves a spice-rubbed karubi rib with green papaya-carrot slaw. A fourth window, called Wanjohi Refreshments (“wanjohi” means “brewer” in Swahili) offers beverages including six South African wines by the glass; Safari Amber Lager and Orlando Brewing I-4 IPA on draft; red sangria with Van der Hum tangerine liqueur from South Africa and more.

New! Additional Construction Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Construction begins the evening of May 26 on a new “grab and go” food and beverage location in the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom where FastPass tickets were once distributed for Expedition Everest-Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. Details have not yet been released.

Reminder! Chef Mickey’s to Offer Brunch: Beginning May 31, 2015, Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will offer brunch. For brunch, the menu of breakfast favorites expands with soup; salads including Caesar; seafood, fresh broccoli, antipasto, chicken and Caprese, and hot dishes such as barbecued ribs, seafood étouffée and baked salmon. (And, yes, the famous Mickey waffles are on the brunch menu.) The ice cream bar and Contemporary bakery sweets also will be part of the expansive buffet. Operating hours in the morning will be changed to 7:00am – 2:30pm, with brunch items being added to the buffet after 11:30am. Hours for brunch are 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Breakfast is still 7-11:30 a.m. and dinner 5-9:30 p.m.) Meals are one table-service entitlement on the Disney Dining Plan. Reservations open May 22 for what promises to be a popular new addition to Walt Disney World Resort dining.

Walt Disney World Resort – General

New! Dining Plan Enhancements Coming Soon: Starting May 31, Guests will have more flexibility and choice in using entitlements in nearly every Disney-operated food & beverage and merchandise venue throughout Walt Disney World Resort. This includes substitutions, expanded snack offerings and more. Details have not yet been released.

New! Hoypoloi Gallery Now Closed at Downtown Disney: After 18 years, Hoypoloi Gallery officially bid Downtown Disney farewell on May 25, 2015. Guests can find some of their favorite art and gift items at Hoypoloi’s sister gallery, Pop Gallery (in Downtown Disney, between Splitsville and AMC Theater). You can also visit their three Chicago locations at O’Hare International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2) and Chinatown. A new location for United World Soccer, a store specializing in authentic soccer gear and merchandise from teams around the globe, will take Hoypoloi’s place in July.

Reminder! “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party at Typhoon Lagoon May 22-July 5: As part of the Coolest Summer Ever at Walt Disney World Resort, a new summertime dance party is surfing into Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. From May 22 through July 5, Guests can join in the “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party daily (weather permitting) at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park Surf Pool Beach. Guests can join “bikers” Rev and Kicks and “surfers” Bingo and Sunny as they dance and play beach-themed games while DJ “Amp” spins remixes of retro tunes. “Teen Beach 2:” Beach Party is inspired by the Disney Channel Original Movie, “Teen Beach 2,” set to premiere this summer.

Reminder! Cirque du Soleil Dark May 17-31: From May 17-31, Cirque du Soleil will experience a dark period. There will be no performances at this time.

Merchandise Updates

New! ‘Tomorrowland’ Shirt Available at Disney Parks Online Store: To celebrate the release of this new motion picture, a T-shirt for adults, women and kids is now available on the Disney Parks online store through May 28. Designed by Disney Design Group artist Richard Terpstra, the shirts will contain a glow-in-the-dark “Tomorrowland” logo. The back of the shirts will also have the word “Tomorrowland.” You can find the shirt by visiting this link. Also, an open edition Tomorrowland pin will be released at Disney Parks. I couldn’t resist recreating a scene from the film using this new pin as a prop. Look for the pin in a variety of merchandise locations at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.

Reminder! Star Wars Force for Change: Starting May 15, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will carry T-shirts for adults, women and kids featuring a stormtrooper from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. During the final weekend, June 12-14, they will offer a limited edition stormtrooper pin at Darth’s Mall. Twenty-five percent of the retail sale price of this product will be donated to U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF Kid Power, an innovative new program that uses the world’s first Wearable-For-Good to get youth physically active to provide lifesaving, nutrition-rich food packets to kids in need around the world. These items are the first products for Star Wars: The Force Awakens released by Disney Parks. They are also the first character products released for the upcoming film. To learn more about Star Wars: Force For Change, please visit www.StarWars.com/ForceForChange.

Closures and Refurbishments

Click here to view the latest renovations and closures at Walt Disney World Resort.

Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Magic Kingdom Park

New! ‘Coolest Summer Ever’ Kicks Off with 24 Hour Event May 22: Magic Kingdom Park will host a 24-hour extravaganza on Friday, May 22 to kick off the “Coolest Summer Ever” at the Walt Disney World Resort. The park will open at 6:00am and remain open for 24 hours, closing Saturday, May 23 at 6:00am. The celebration will feature character greetings, dance parties and surprises throughout the night. In addition to all the usual favorite characters and shows at the park, there will also be a full roster of amazing, unique entertainment experiences that will definitely make this day one of the coolest ever!

The extravaganza kicks off with some very special appearances in the Welcome Show as Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf join the rest of the gang welcoming everyone into the park.

A Flag Raising ceremony will be held at dawn in Town Square, featuring the Reedy Creek Honor Guard.

Some favorite stars from Disney Channel will be Grand Marshals for the “Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade” at 3 p.m.

Over in Tomorrowland, Disney Channel Club Chill takes over Rockettower Plaza Stage from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., with DJ Frost leading a dance party with music videos from Disney Channel stars and sneak peeks of upcoming Disney Channel Original Movies Teen Beach 2 and Descendants.

There’s even more “Frozen” fun in store, when Olaf, Kristoff, Anna and Elsa put the Magic Kingdom “on ice” with pre-parade appearances just ahead of the 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. performances of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Guests looking to dance the night away can join the Disney pals – all dressed in their PJs – at one of two late-night dance parties. They can kick up their heels at the Frontierland Dance Party, near Country Bear Jamboree, from 2 a.m. – 6 a.m. At Cinderella Castle, Disney’s “Up All Night” Dance Party keeps things hopping from 2:00 a.m. – 5:45 a.m. with awesome DJ, stiltwalkers and lots of fun party people!

As that 24th hour comes to a close, everyone will make their way to Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A., for a special finale moment with Mickey and the gang.

New! ‘Coolest Summer Ever’ Cupcake: Guests will find a festive cupcake found in the following locations:

Main Street Bakery and Main Street Confectionary on Main Street, U.S.A.

Gaston’s Tavern and Big Top Souvenirs in New Fantasyland

Reminder!Adjusted Times for Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It!: Due to refurbishment work on Main Street, U.S.A., Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! will be presented at 12:30 and 5:40 p.m. on June 2, June 3, June 8, June 15 and June 29, 2015.

Epcot

Update! American Music Machine Set Change: A new musical performance group called American Music Machine is now performing Wednesday through Sunday each week. American Music Machine is a five-member group that features a repertoire of diverse and contemporary American music. Their performances are 12:30, 1:40, 2:20, 3 and 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday at the America Gardens Theatre at the American Adventure.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

New! Star Wars Cupcakes Have Returned: The Force is strong at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with not only two, but three specialty cupcakes this year! Darth Vader cupcake is made out of chocolate cake with a rich chocolate-peanut butter filling, and chocolate frosting. This treat is available at the following locations: Watto’s Grotto, ABC Commissary, FairFax Fare, Backlot Express, Studio Catering Co., Pizza Planet, Starring Rolls, Rosie’s All American Café, and The Trolley Car Café.

The Yoda cupcake is made of chocolate with chocolate hazelnut buttercream and candy crush. And new this year, Jabba The Hutt cupcake is made of chocolate with salted caramel frosting. Both treats are available at the following locations: Watto’s Grotto, Backlot Express, Starring Rolls, Studio Catering Co., and The Trolley Car Café.

Reminder! Star Wars Weekends Schedule: Immerse yourself in another world with the power of the Force during Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This event runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 15–June 14. While at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find an entire saga’s worth of characters, specialty shows and celebrities on hand for pictures, autographs, motorcades and more. The 2015 Star Wars Weekends celebrity appearances include:
Weekend I (May 15 – 17)

New! New Guest Path in Asia Now Open: Work is complete on a pathway in the Asia section of the theme park. A new bypass, which is now open, will connect the area of Asia next to Kali River Rapids and the side of the siamang exhibit by Expedition Everest. This pathway is already depicted on the park guidemap. It is available for Guests to use as a quick way to access the opposite side of the land while still getting a great view of the animals.

New! Character Meet and Greet Changes: Disney’s Animal Kingdom will have the following character changes beginning May 24. Guests will be able to meet Tarzan daily along the Discovery Island Trail. Pocahontas will be greeting Guests intermittently at the Discovery Island Character Landing location.

New! Dining Refurbishments in Progress: Following is a list of the dining location refurbishments currently at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Gardens Kiosk – Closed through June 6. Creature Comforts will reopens as a Starbucks location in June. Flame Tree Barbecue remains closed until late May.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

New! Chef Mickey’s to Offer Brunch: Beginning May 31, 2015, Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will offer brunch. For brunch, the menu of breakfast favorites expands with soup; salads including Caesar; seafood, fresh broccoli, antipasto, chicken and Caprese, and hot dishes such as barbecued ribs, seafood étouffée and baked salmon. (And, yes, the famous Mickey waffles are on the brunch menu.) The ice cream bar and Contemporary bakery sweets also will be part of the expansive buffet. Operating hours in the morning will be changed to 7:00am – 2:30pm, with brunch items being added to the buffet after 11:30am. Hours for brunch are 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (Breakfast is still 7-11:30 a.m. and dinner 5-9:30 p.m.) Meals are one table-service entitlement on the Disney Dining Plan. Reservations open May 22 for what promises to be a popular new addition to Walt Disney World Resort dining.

New! Mizner’s Lounge at Disney’s Grand Floridian to Serve Coffee During Day: Beginning Thursday, May 14, Mizner’s Lounge will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. as a coffee bar for Guests. The lounge will operate as normal from 4:30 p.m. to midnight—serving beer, wine and cocktails for Guests.

Reminder! Menu Changes at Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort: While the Gulf Delta Chilled Shellfish has been removed from the lineup, the Ol’ Man Island Oysters have been added, now combined with the new Colonel’s Peace Pieces, featuring a blend of lightly fried oysters, crawfish, shrimp, okra, and drizzled with the house-made remoulade. Joining the appetizer selection will be the Pirogue Platter, including the Chef’s selection of meats and artisanal cheeses. The Ponchartrain Pasta will now include orecchiette pasta, Andouille sausage and fresh shrimp, complimented with fresh corn, and tossed in a light cream sauce. The Voodoo Chicken will now be accompanied by fluffy waffles and garnished with maple bacon gravy. Along with these changes, Guests will now be able to add Shrimp Creole, Crab Imperial or Crawfish Mac n’ Cheese to enhance their entrée experience.

Walt Disney World Resort – General

New! Additional New Retail and Dining Announced for Disney Springs: As Downtown Disney continues to transform into Disney Springs, the area is doubling in size and bringing even more
shopping, dining and entertainment experiences to Guests between now and 2016. We’re excited to announce 13 new high-profile tenants have just signed on to be part of Disney Springs and will join a diverse mix of retailers and restaurants. Coming to Disney Springs:RETAIL

Zara: Owned by the Inditex Group, one of the world’s largest fashion retail groups. Zara is known for its men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, and how it expertly interprets current fashion and style trends of the season, delivering original designs to the consumer in a matter of weeks.

Lilly Pulitzer: The authentic American resort wear brand, Lilly Pulitzer, is landing in the heart of Disney and will be offering their clothing and accessories, optimistic outlook, and happy prints to those who’ve loved the brand for years and new Lilly Girls out there.

UNIQLO: Leading global retailer UNIQLO designs, manufactures, and sells casual apparel that comes from the company’s Japanese values of simplicity, quality and longevity. The simplest design hides the most thoughtful details in clothing that is constantly being innovated to bring more warmth and lightness, better design and comfort to people’s lives.

PANDORA: Building on its existing relationship with Disney Parks, the popular jewelry brand offers classic yet modern charm bracelets, along with necklaces, rings and earrings, as well as a line of exclusive Disney-themed jewelry.

UGG: The UGG® brand is recognized as a premium lifestyle brand offering men’s, women’s and kid’s footwear as well as loungewear, outerwear, home products, cold weather accessories and handbags.

L’Occitane en Provence: L’Occitane en Provence is an international skincare and beauty line celebrating the culture and beauty of Provence, France.

Edison: Inspired by The Edison venue in Los Angeles, this lavish “Industrial Gothic”-style restaurant, bar and nighttime destination is themed to a 1920s-period power plant, recalling an exuberant era of invention and imagination. It will feature exceptionally good classic American food, craft cocktails and live entertainment including cabaret and music.

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza: Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is a modern day “pizza joint” known for its custom-built artisanal pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s’more pies. The fast-casual restaurant features an interactive assembly-line format that allows guests to customize their pizza, choosing from over 40 fresh, artisanal toppings – all for one price. The generously sized, 11-inch pizzas are “fast-fired” in a blazing hot open-flame oven and ready to enjoy in just 180 seconds.

Tea Traders Café by Joffrey’s: Tea Traders Café by Joffrey’s specializes in premium loose-leaf teas (hot, iced, blended) featuring customs blends, accessories and packaged teas from all over the globe; created to go or for a tea experience in the café.

These tenants will be located throughout Town Center and The Landing. In addition, previously announced Morimoto Asia, STK Orlando and Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar are scheduled to open in Fall 2015.

New! Cirque du Soleil Dark May 17-31: From May 17-31, Cirque du Soleil will experience a dark period. There will be no performances at this time.

Merchandise Events

New! Star Wars Force for Change: Starting May 15, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will carry T-shirts for adults, women and kids featuring a stormtrooper from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. During the final weekend, June 12-14, they will offer a limited edition stormtrooper pin at Darth’s Mall. Twenty-five percent of the retail sale price of this product will be donated to U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF Kid Power, an innovative new program that uses the world’s first Wearable-For-Good to get youth physically active to provide lifesaving, nutrition-rich food packets to kids in need around the world. These items are the first products for Star Wars: The Force Awakens released by Disney Parks. They are also the first character products released for the upcoming film. To learn more about Star Wars: Force For Change, please visit www.StarWars.com/ForceForChange.

New! ‘Coolest Summer Ever’ Merchandise: The “Coolest Summer Ever” in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort! This 24-hour party starts 6 a.m. Friday, May 22, and runs until 6 a.m. Saturday, May 23. Guests will be able to purchase a commemorative T-shirt featuring the host of the party, Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen.” This year’s shirt will contain ink that changes color when exposed to sunlight. The shirt will be found in Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park. We will also offer it online from May 22-31 at DisneyStore.com/ParkEvents.

Closures and RefurbishmentsClick to view the latest renovations and closures at Walt Disney World Resort.

In the fall of 2016, Disney Cruise Line will return to New York for a limited time with sailings to the Bahamas that include a visit to Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. New seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami, Florida and a return to Galveston, Texas round out the season.

Return to New York

On Oct. 7, 2016, the Disney Magic will sail from New York on an eight-night Bahamian cruise that includes stops at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay; Nassau, Bahamas; and Port Canaveral, Florida, which is located just one hour from the Walt Disney World Resort.

On Oct. 15, 22 and 29, 2016, the Disney Magic will sail from New York on seven-night cruises that stop at Disney Castaway Cay and Port Canaveral.

Adding to the magic on each of these Bahamian cruises will be the opportunity to visit the Walt Disney World Resort when the ship stops at nearby Port Canaveral. Each Guest on these sailings will receive a 1-Day Theme Park Ticket with Park HopperOption and round-trip transportation for the short trip between the ship and the Walt Disney World Resort.

On Oct. 2, 2016, the Disney Magic will sail from New York on a five-night cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. In these charming Canadian ports, Guests can soak in splendid natural vistas, explore historic sites, visit quaint cafes and shops, and browse Canada’s oldest farmer’s market.

New Seven-night Cruises from Miami
For the first time, Disney Cruise Line Guests will be able to enjoy a season of seven-night voyages from Miami to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

On Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, 2016, the Disney Magic will sail from Miami to the Western Caribbean including Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Disney Castaway Cay.

On Nov. 27 and Dec. 11, the Disney Magic will sail to the Eastern Caribbean including Tortola, St. Thomas and Disney Castaway Cay. On Dec. 23, the Disney Magic will sail to Tortola, San Juan and Disney Castaway Cay.

Additional Miami sailings include a four-night Bahamas cruise departing on Nov. 16, a five-night Bahamas cruise departing on Dec. 18, and a six-night Western Caribbean cruise departing on Dec. 30, 2016, Each sailing will include a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

Return to Galveston

In late 2016, Disney Cruise Line returns to Texas with a lineup of seven-night itineraries, including Bahamian sailings that stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

On Dec. 2, the Disney Wonder will sail on a seven-night Caribbean itinerary from Galveston to Falmouth, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. On Dec. 16, the Disney Wonder will sail from Galveston on a seven-night cruise to Cozumel, Costa Maya and Grand Cayman. Two four-night sailings to Cozumel on Nov. 10 and Nov. 14, round up the sailings from Galveston.

Most of the late 2016 cruises include either Halloween or winter-holiday events that bring special entertainment, activities and décor to the Disney Cruise Line ships.